Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Addresses the General Debate of 62nd UN General Assembly

2007-09-28

2007/09/28

On 28 September 28 2007, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi delivered a speech titled Seeking Cooperation and Building Harmony to the general debate of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly, comprehensively expounding the Chinese government's views on the current international situation and position and propositions on the major international and regional issues.

He noted that mankind faces both unprecedented opportunities and challenges. The factors for maintaining peace, promoting development and seeking cooperation are increasing. Meanwhile, the traditional and non-traditional security threats interweave, hot issues are outstanding, the South-North gap expands, trade protectionism is rising, and the disadvantaged position of developing countries in general remains unchanged. This session of the General Assembly should strive to promote the harmonious coexistence among all countries. Hot issues should be settled properly and international conflicts should be solved peacefully through dialogue and cooperation.

The six-party talks have become an important platform for the parties concerned to conduct dialogue and consultations on realizing denuclearization on the Peninsula, normalizing relations between the countries concerned and building a new harmonious architecture in northeast Asia; diplomatic negotiations remain the best option for a peaceful solution of the Iranian nuclear issue. China stands for upholding the international nuclear nonproliferation regime and no nonproliferation efforts should deviate from the goal of upholding international peace and stability. China appeals to all the parties concerned to show flexibility and resume negotiations at the earliest date and is willing to continue to contribute to peacefully solving the Iranian nuclear issue; China calls on Palestine to strengthen internal solidarity, welcomes the initiative on holding the international conference on the Middle East issue, hopes the Iraqi people continue to push ahead national reconciliation and restore peace and stability and expects the comprehensive, fair and permanent solution of the Middle East issue. The international community should sustain the current sound momentum of resolving the Darfur issue, give full play to the role of the trilateral mechanism of the United Nations, the African Union and the Sudanese government as the main channel, adhere to the "double-track" strategy and push forward the peacekeeping operation and political process in a balanced manner. China will continue to push for appropriate settlement of the Darfur issue as well as peace, stability and development of Sudan.

Poverty is one of the major root causes of disputes and development is the fundamental way to eradicate poverty. The international community should redouble their efforts to deliver the Millennium Development Goals, narrow the North-South gap and, in particular, meet Africa's special need for development. Developed countries should increase assistance, open domestic market wider and transfer more technologies to developing countries and provide greater debt relief to them. Developing countries should boost their economic development. Efforts should be made to build and improve an open, fair and just multilateral trade regime, trade protectionism should be opposed, the Doha round of talks should be advanced towards comprehensive and balanced results and the goals of development round should be reached. The reform of international economic system should fully reflect changes in the world economic structure and give greater say and representativeness to developing countries.

While seeking development China attaches great importance to international development cooperation and is committed to coordinated and balanced development all over the world. Although China remains a developing country, it has been providing assistance to the developing world including African countries to its best capacity and helping them to raise the capacity of independent and sustainable growth with the goal of ultimately building lasting peace and common prosperity of the world. Yang stressed that it is the common responsibility of the international community to help African countries achieve stability, security and sustainable development. China-Africa cooperation, with fruitful results, is acknowledged and welcomed by African countries and has brought about tangible benefits to the Chinese and African people. Such cooperation does not target at any third party and is beneficial to the cooperation between Africa and other countries.

Yang noted that in the process of national development China has always linked its own development with the progress of the entire mankind. China is committed to promoting all countries to equally participate in international affairs and advancing the democratization of international relations; all nations to benefit from the achievements of economic globalization and technological progress and strengthening mutual benefit and win-win cooperation; all civilizations to reinforce exchange and understanding and advocating diversity of the world; conducting dialogue and building up mutual trust with all countries to jointly cope with global problems. China unswervingly follows the road of peaceful development and is ready to make greater contributions to peace and development of mankind.

Yang emphasized that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and no challenge will be permitted to the one-China principle and to the UN General Assembly Resolution 2758. The Taiwan authorities are now obstinately clinging to the separatist course of "Taiwan independence" and making every attempt to push for a referendum on "applying for membership of the United Nations under the name Taiwan". This is another dangerous stop toward "de jure Taiwan independence" taken by the Chen Shui-bian authorities. If unchecked, this move will gravely endanger peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and in the Asia-Pacific region. The Chinese government has been making every effort to promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and seek peaceful reunification, but will never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China in any name or in any way. We hope the international community to continue to support China's cause of peaceful reunification, support the Chinese people in opposing and repulsing separatist activities for "Taiwan independence" and work with china to maintain peace and stability across the Straits and the Asia and Pacific region at large.